The present invention relates to processes for repairing articles having a wood-like appearance which are formed from synthetic resins as described in United States patent application entitled PROCESS FOR PRODUCING ARTICLES FROM SYNTHETIC RESINS HAVING WOOD APPEARANCE, filed on or about Dec. 7, 1990. Such articles are typically produced by first forming a model or plug of the product from real wood having the desired grain pattern. The wooden model is then treated to open the wood grain. A mold is formed from the treated wooden model by application of a liquid mold resin to the exterior of the wooden model. An impression of the wood grain of the wooden model is cast in the surface of the mold resin, at the interface of the mold and the surface of the wooden model. Articles having wood-like appearance may then be formed from the mold by application of a synthetic resin impregnated with a base coat coloring to the mold surface, the mold surface containing the wood grain pattern, and depositing thereon a supportive substrate. After sufficient curing, the resulting synthetic resin article is removed frown the mold and a viscous pigmented toner paste is applied to the wood grain pattern. Remarkable wood-like appearance results after wiping the paste on the surface and in the simulated wood grain pores of the article to the desired color intensity. In most instances a transparent protective layer is applied over the surfaces having the wood grain pattern formed therein.
It is envisaged that such synthetic resin articles may be utilized in a variety of fashions, such as in furniture, household trim, boats and RV vehicles and related equipment, automotive components, audio speaker cabinets, ceiling fans, and a multitude of consumer goods. When such articles are utilized in or upon objects which are subject to heavy use, it is inevitable that damage, at least to some extent will occur to the synthetic resin article.
Since the primary reason for utilizing such articles is their remarkable wood-like appearance, it follows that when such articles are damaged, in order for a repair process to be acceptable, it must mend the damaged area and more importantly, restore the remarkable wood-like appearance of the article. The unique structure and manner by which the above described articles are formed and thus achieve their remarkable wood-like appearance, precludes use of any of the known repair processes for articles produced from synthetic resins. Those processes merely comprise depositing an amount of a filler material in the damaged region and after sufficient drying or hardening, sanding the repaired region and surrounding undamaged regions, followed by an appropriate coating or painting operation.
An unattractive appearance results if articles having a wood-like appearance and formed in accordance with the above noted process are repaired by any of these known repair processes. Moreover, if the damage extends into the wood grain pattern or the underlying substrate, restoration of the original wood grain pattern of the article is virtually impossible.
As far as is known by the present inventor, there currently exists no process for repairing nicked or scratched or otherwise damaged synthetic resin articles having wood-like appearance. Thus, there is a need for a process for repairing such articles which mends the damaged areas and restores the remarkable wood-like appearance of the articles.
Moreover, in those instances in which multiple articles are utilized to provide a large, expansive, continuous wood grain pattern, and damage to one or more articles occurs which is so severe that the article(s) must be replaced, the remarkable wood grain appearance of the articles makes replacement very difficult, since matching the wood grain pattern of a replacement article with that of undamaged regions of neighboring or adjacent existing articles is virtually impossible. Thus, there is a need for a process of repairing severe damage to one or more of a group of synthetic resin articles, such that the wood grain pattern of the repaired region matches that of undamaged regions. By applying the processes of the present invention to a replacement article as described herein, the appearance of the article may be restored to that of the original.